Heads Up, Designers: The Rules Of Debossed and Ink Filled Printing

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Hey Graphic Gunslingers. This blog is directed squarely at you. We receive custom designs on a daily basis. These designs are usually pretty incredible. But unless they're created correctly, we can't print them. So here are some quick tips to ensure that your next design goes from computer to factory to airplane to truck to house to merch table to customer's wrist (all without a hitch).

Give me a second to breathe....Ok, here it goes. The two things everyone needs to know to be happy, healthy, and wise:

1. No two ink colors can touch. Strange, you say. But what if the colors go so well together, like burnt orange and dark blue? They can't seem to keep their hands off each other. They were born to touch! To this, concerned reader, I must tell you: they can never, ever touch on a debossed and ink filled wristband. And here's why: the two colors would mix during production. If they are touching in your artwork, it means they are occupying the same engraved space. There is no border to keep one liquid ink from seeping into the other. This is a major no-no, no matter how much the colors might love each other. I feel like Juliet's dad, but it's the truth.

2. The artwork must contain outlines. This means that, unfortunately, your photoshop files will not work. Photoshop produces bitmap graphics. This means that a ton of pixels are mapped out once and don't change, regardless of any zooming you might do. This produces a blurry image the closer you zoom in. And it also means that there are no clear, computer recognized outlines in the artwork. The answer to this? Vector files and Adobe Illustrator. Vector graphics rely on anchor points and outline edges to re-map the pixels on your screen so that your image is perfectly crisp and sharp no matter how much you zoom in and out. The outlines and computer math-wizardry behind this are exactly what printers (and their machine counterparts) need to create a perfect engraving of your design.

Think you've got it? If not, don't worry. Just get in touch with us. I'll be glad to help with any questions!